Lawn tennis and the like racket



' Mar; 3. 1925; 1,528,311

I P; SURRIDGE LAWN TENNIS AND THE LIKE RACKET Filed Aug. 3, 1923 Ill! Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PERCIVAL SUB-RIDGE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

LAWN TENNIS AND THE LIKE RACKET.

Application filed August 3, 1923. Serial No. 655,491.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCIVAL Summon, a subject of the King of Great Britaim residing at London, S. E. 1, England (whose post-office address is 210/212, Borough High Street, London, S. E. 1, England), have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn Tennis and the like Rackets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to lawn tennis and the like rackets.

In such rackets as heretofore usually constructed the gut stringing is passed to and fro through holes formed therefor in the racket frame, the said holes being drilled at an angle through the frame so that on the inner periphery of the frame all the internal mouths of the holes lie in the common central longitudinal plane of the frame, but on the outer periphery thereof the external mouths of the holes are arranged in staggered relation to one another in two equispaced rows. Grooves cut in the external periphery of the frame connect the holes of one row to the adjacent holes of the other row and these grooves receive the lengths of gut stringing leading from the one hole to the other. This results in a neat and strong stringing arrangement for the said external grooves extend from one hole to another diagonally partly across the rent ash strip of which the frame is usually made and consequently the construction is much stronger than would he the case if the external mouths of the holes were all in one line in which case the length of gut between the holes would run in the direct line of the grain of the ash frame.

It is found however that the constant small movements of the gut stringing that occur when the racket is in use, notwithstanding the high tension to which the racket is strung, tend to deepen these connecting grooves and moreover the portions of gut lying therein become in time frayed or fretted and consequently weakened. The object of the present invention is to avoid this disadvantage and to provide an improved racket of great strength and capable of being strung very tightly without losing its shape.

For this purpose, according to the invention, there isprovided on the external periphery of the frame a bearing surface of metal or other appropriate material over which are passed the lengths or loops of gut leading from one hole to the other of the two rows of holes. This metal or other bearing surface distributes the stress dueto the tightness of the stringing and consequently equalizes the gut tension, allows greater freedom for expansion and contraction of the gut, strengthens the frame, prevents warping, and providesa surface over which the gut can move without any liability of it becomingfrayed or fretted.

The bearing surface may with advantage consist of steel, or bronze or other metal of any suitable section, either solid or hollow. It may for example consist of a length or lengths of spring steel or bronze wire or the gut stringing is led from the one hole other appropriate material, hereinafter re- I to the other over the wire. The wire is preferably' of circular cross section but it may 'be of V or other hollow section; whatever the cross section however the surface over which the gut is passed is a smooth curved surface not liable to fret or wear the gut. The length of wire may extend in a loop around the frame from shoulder to shoulder and if of spring steel the tendency of' the wire loop will be to expand and maintain the tension of the stringing counteracting any expansion of the gut. As will be understood the wire not only forms a smooth bearing surface for the loops of gut but constitutes a reinforcement that strengthens the frame.

Preferably the wire is seated in a groove formed therefor in the external periphery of the frame. With advantage the external periphery of the frame may be formed with a relatively wide groove or recess into which the external mouths of the stringing holes open, the base of such groove or recess being formed midway of its width with a relatively shallow groove to receive the wire over which the gut is passed to and fro from the holes of the one row to the holes of the other row.

Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying illustrative drawings show in elevation in planes at right angles to each other a portion of the frame of a racket embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross section corresponding to the line A A of Fig. 2.

'Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are similar views to Fig. 3 illustrating modifications.

Fig. 7 shows in elevation a complete racket embodying the invention.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the racket frame 1 is of rent ash formed on its external periphery with a groove 2 into which open the outer ends of the stringing holes 3. The outer ends of these holes?) are in two rows arranged one row at each side of the groove 2 but the holes of each row are inclined inwardly so that the inner ends of all the holes lie in the common central longitudinal plane of the frame.

Seated in a shallow groove formed in the bottom of the groove 2 is a length of steel or other metalwire 4 over which are passed the loops 5 of the gut stringing 6 leading from the one hole to the other. The wire 4: is of circular cross section in order. to provide a smooth bearing surface for the gut and allow the gut to move freely over the same as it expands or contracts without liability of it becoming frayed or fretted.

In some cases the reinforcement 4 forming a bearing surface for the loops 5 of gut may be of curved V section as shown in Fig. 4: in which case it is preferable to give the groove 2 a cross section such that there is provided a rib that enters into the hollow of the reinforcing strip, as shown. Alternatively thereinforcement may consist of a metal tube 4 of small bore, as shown in Fig. 5. v

Although it is generally preferred to use a simple plain length of wire l-as the reinforcement, such wire may in some cases be of sinuous formation, as shown in Fig. 6, in order to distribute thepressure-more uniformly overthe ash frame. a

The reinforcing wire may extend in an open loop around the frame from the shoulders 7 thereof, and as will be. seen from Fig. 7, in the finished rackets there are no parts of the reinforcement or of the gut loops projectingbeyond the external periphery of the frame, the groove 2 being of such depth as to receive the same.

The provision of the wire 4 enables the stringing 6 to be effected at high tension and this high tension is maintained without any tendency of the gut being fretted or weakened at the crossing loops 5 during play; moreover the provision of the wiredoes not in any way interfere with the balance-of the racket. i v

It is not. generally necessary to provide the wire reinforcement along the length of. the shoulders 7 of the racket frame although this may be done ifdesired but as to this and in other details, for example the cross section anddepth of the external groove 2, variations .may be made without departure from the invention.

lVhilst steel, bronze, aluminium or other metal is probably the best material for the reinforcement the invention is not limited to metal as in place thereof other material, for example, hard rubberor vulcanite, celluloid, compressed fibre, whalebone or the like may be employed.

That I claim is 1. In a tennis racket, a frame provided with a peripheral groove and having stringing holes which open into the bottom of the said groove, a reinforcing member formed of rigid material, said member being of less width and depth than the said groove and being arranged between the outer ends of the stringing holes, and strings passingthrough the stringing holes and looped over the reinforcing member and having their loops arranged wholly within the said groove.

2. A tennis racket as set forth in claim 1, the said reinforcing member and its groove being arranged to extend in continuous form from one shoulder of the racket to the other.

3. A tennis racket as set forth. in claim 1, and the said reinforcing member being formed of steel wire.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PERCIVAL SURRIDGE. 

